Why does hooper wear the black veil

Rather it is the fundamental platform from which all others take off. And, indeed, it is for the sake of these, we may eventually conclude, that the story exists. That is: the overall theme of the story may be concerned not so much with the facts pointed to in the second column of the table above as with their further implications -- but implications that are in turn pointed to by additional literal details of the story, i.

To take just one example: just as Rev. Hooper is a stranger to his fellows , so are they, in reality, strangers to each other, and themselves. And this fact we can translate into interesting theological terms: every person in this community of communicants is in fact self-excommunicated from every other, and precisely because he believes, in his heart of hearts and, for all but Rev.

Hooper himself, this is an unconscious region , that, were he to reveal it to his fellows, they would excommunicate him from their fellowship -- drive him into banishment, as in fact they have done with heretics they have found in their midst baptists and Quakers most prominently.

But this constitutes an even deeper irony in turn, since in orthodox Puritan theology, the universal depravity of man owing to Original Sin is a fundamental article of faith. The question thus arises: for people who officially subscribe to the doctrine of Original Sin, what can be so terrifying about admitting to others that one is secretly sinful, even while one reserves to oneself i.

Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that these communities have claimed to be a community of the redeemed. Whether one can continue a member of such a community would then depend in turn on whether one supposes that people can be both redeemed and sinners or whether redemption makes sin impossible. The behavior of the people of Rev.

Hooper's community suggests that they have taken from society -- i. And since, for them, the condition of remaining a member of the community with which their conception of personal identity is inextricably tied is that one be redeemed, the price of admitting to oneself that one is sinful means that one is not fit to remain in the community.

And since giving up one's status as a respected member of the community is, for them, more painful than giving up one's prospect of eternal life and immunity to eternal damnation, it is necessary to deny that one any longer harbors sin. But since acknowledging that one is doing this is inconsistent with one's enjoyment of one's identity as member of the community of the decent, it is necessary to deny one's consciousness of sin even to oneself.

In contrast, the fact that Rev. Hooper preaches the sermon he does -- on the first day he adopts the veil, and subsequently by his persistence in his decision to keep wearing it -- suggests that he either rejects the view that redemption and persistence in sin are consistence or is able to bear the consciousness that he may not, at least yet, be redeemed. Presumably, for both Rev. Hooper and his parishioners, Puritan theology is insistent that, without conviction of sin, there can be no salvation.

Conviction of sin is necessary, though not sufficient for salvation. If this tenet of their ancestors is true, though, the members of this community are in dire spiritual peril. But even if it is not, their commitment to social respectability is revealed as more important to them than their appreciation of their eternal welfare.

This Puritan belief is proved wrong throughout this story. Arthur Dimmesdale is a character you can relate to. He is suppose to be a man who cannot commit sin but he commits the sin that is focused on throughout the whole novel. Unfortunately, this strategy does not go according to plan and forces himself to feel guilty for the majority of his adult life. He becomes extremely physically and emotionally ill because of his inner demons. Having two well-known ancestors who were both single handedly responsible for punishing those who had sinned, influenced his work a great deal.

Nathaniel was able to give his readers a glimpse into how full of fear the people of Salem were. You could almost feel sympathy for those who were against his main characters in both of the stories, because they were more afraid of facing their own consequences.

Hawthorne's story titled Young Goodman Brown was another piece of his work that continued the theme between good and evil. In the story, a man leaves his wife for one night and has an encounter with the devil, that further changes the way he had viewed his own life.

Voigt talks about the different meanings people have come about the veil. Some say it is a penance for an actual serious crime, or that the veil just represents the minister as someone who is so obsessed with sin that he allows it to control him which in the end results in a loss of life and happiness. These ancient practices were done when sin was greatly upon someone as a way of repentance and would lead to isolation and loneliness as the veil did for father Hooper.

Essays Essays FlashCards. Browse Essays. Sign in. Essay Sample Check Writing Quality. Show More. Hooper without removing the veil? Out of respect, fear, or because they agree with his ideas about sin. A veil symbolizes that he is wearing it to hide his secret sins. He can sympathize with sinners and can better connect with people who have them. What happens when Reverend Clark tries to remove the veil?

Why do the people on their death beds call desperately for Hooper to come to them, when everybody else hides from the minister? What happens when Mr. Hooper says all people must be prepared for their veils to be removed? The parishioners final understand the meaning of the veil. He astonishes everyone by removing his veil. Did he seek to hide it from the dread Being whom he was addressing? Clark says that he wants to remove the veil in order to remove a shadow from the face of someone who has lived a good life.

He may also be curious about what Mr.